Self-adjusting furniture support

ABSTRACT

A self-adjusting support includes a foot member spring biased in a downward direction along a rectilinear guideway extending at an angle of about twenty degrees from the horizontal plane.

mte States 1 1 [111 3,827,663 Hinman Aug. 6, 1974 [54] SELF-ADJUSTING FURNITURE SUPPORT 2.l76,255. 8 1939 Frost 248/l88.3 2,350,155 5/l944 Deal 248/1882 [75] lnvemor' Arch Hmman, South Elgm 2,787.08? 4/1957 Whitman 248/188.3 [73] Assignee: Johnson Industries, Inc., Elgin, ill. 22 Filed; Nov. 8, 1972 Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Assistant ExaminerRobert W. Gibson, .l r. [21] Appl- 304,613 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edmond T. Patnaude [52] US. Cl. 248/1883 51 Int. Cl .2 A47b 9/00 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ggf gj f A self-adjusting support includes a foot rnember spring biased in a downward direction along a rectilinear guideway extending at an angle of about twenty de- [56] uNlTE g ggizfrigs giiENTs grees from the horizontal plane.

520,432 5/1894 Humphreys 248/1883 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SELF-ADJUSTING FURNITURE SUPPORT The present invention relates in general to furniture supports and it relates more particularly to a new and improved furniture support which self-adjusts to uneven floors or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Furniture bases having more than three contact points with the floor are frequently unstable to the extent that they rock about two of the support points. This instability is particularly noticeable with tables, and various devices have been employed in the past to alleviate this problem. For example, self-adjusting supports incorporating a spring and a highly viscous liquid have been used but these devices are expensive to manufacture and are susceptible to damage and leakage of the liquid. Manually adjustable supports have also been used but they have the disadvantage of frequently requiring readjustment when the associated article of furniture is moved. Other types of supports wherein the foot member is spring loaded in a downward vertical direction have the disadvantage that a force exerted on the top of the table over the foot member causes it to retract with a resultant lowering of the table top.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved furniture support which is self-adjusting, contains no liquid, and which maintains its self-adjusted position when a downward force is.applied thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above and further objects may be realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a furniture support including a foot member and a body member relatively movable along an axis lying intermediate the horizontal and vertical axes and a spring urging said foot member downwardly along said axis to cause said foot member to move in a vertical and horizontal direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a furniture base embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a self-adjusting furniture support employed in the base of FIG. 1 and taken along the line 2-2 thereof;

.FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 assuming the entire self-adjusting furniture support to be shown therein;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view of a self contained, self-adjusting furniture base embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned, elevational view of another furniture support embodying the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, a table base 10 comprises a center post 11 to the bottom of which a pair of bars 12 and 13 are secured. Mounted near the ends of the bars 12 and 13 are a plurality of foot assemblies or supports 14, 15, 16, and 17. The supports 14, 16, and 17 are identical and are fastened to the bottom edges of the respective bars 12 and 13. The support differs from the others in that it is of the self-adjusting type and automatically moves downwardly into engagement with the floor or other supporting surface.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an elongated, rectangular recess 20 is provided in the bottom of the leg 13 near the end thereof and a generally rectangular foot member 21 is disposed therein. The recess 20 may be milled directly in the leg 13 or the leg may be die-cut and a pair of cover plates 22 and 23 secured thereover as by welding. A rectilinear guideway in the form of a slot 24 in the foot member 21 extends at an angle of about eighteen degrees relative to the horizontal plane, and a sleeve 25 suitably formed of a metal such as steel is slidably mounted therein. A coil spring 26 is compressed between the lower, flat end 27 of the slot 24 and the sleeve 25 to bias the sleeve against the upper end of the slot as shown in FIG. 2. A pin 28 extends through the sleeve 25 and aligned openings in the plates 22 and 23 to maintain the support in assembled condition. Preferably, the pin 28 is a roll pin pressfitted into the holes in the plates 22 and 23 and in the sleeve 25 to prevent rotation of the sleeve 25. It may thus be seen that the spring 26 urges the foot member 21 in a downward vertical direction and in an outward horizontal direction as determined by the slot 24. A plastic channel member 29 covers the bottom of the foot member for engagement with the floor or other supporting surface. If desired, however, the floor engaging portion of the foot member may be integral therewith and be of any desired shape.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the foot member 21 is illustrated in solid lines in its lowermost, fully extended position. It is shown in dashed lines in its upper fully retracted position wherein the spring 26 is fully compressed. Preferably, the vertical distance between the bottom of the foot member 21 and the bottom edge of the leg when the foot member is midway between its limits is equal to the distances between the bottoms of the foot members l4, l6, and 17 and the bottom edges of the associated legs. Accordingly, the foot support 15 can selfadjust for either high or low spots on the floor.

Another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a self-contained, self-adjusting fumiture support 32 similar in construction and identical in operation to the furniture support 15. As there shown, the support 32 comprises a body member or case 33 having a downwardly opening, rectangular recess 34 in which a foot member 35 is slidably mounted. A rectilinear slot 36 is provided in the foot member, and a coil spring 37 is mounted therein for urging a sleeve 38 also mounted therein toward the upper end of the slot. A pin 39, such as a rivet, extends through aligned openings in the sidewalls of the body member 33 and through the sleeve 38 to hold the support 32 in assembled condition. A mounting screw 40 extends upwardly through the top wall of the body member and a notch 41 is provided in the upper edge of the foot member to provide clearance between the head of the screw 40 and the foot member. The foot member 35 is illustrated in solid lines in its uppermost retracted position and in dash lines in its lowermost extended position. In FIGS. 4 and 5 the foot member 35 is shown as an extruded plastic member having an integral, enlarged base portion 42 for engagement with the floor.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a self-adjusting foot assembly 45 comprises a generally channel shaped foot member 46 having a horizontal web 47 and a pair of integral upstanding side flanges 48 and 49. A solid barlike member 50, which may be a table leg or the like functions as a body member and is provided with a slot 51 extending at an angle of about eighteen degrees with the horizontal. The slot 51 provides a guideway in which a sleeve bushing 52 is slidably disposed. A rivet or other pintle member 53 extends through aligned holes in the flanges 48 and 49 and through the sleeve 52 to pivotally secure the foot member 46 to the body member 50. A pair of thin washers 54 and 55 are interposed between the adjacent faces of the body member 50 and the flanges 48 and 59 to reduce the friction between the foot and body members. A tension spring 56 is fastened at one end to an integral tab 57 at one end of the web 47 and at the other end to a bracket 58 mounted on the bottom edge of the member 50 by a screw 59. The bracket 58 is offset from the lower end of the slot 51 whereby the spring 56 biases the bushing 52 toward the foot member in a downward and outward direction. A pair of glide buttons 60 and 61 are snapfitted into a pair of holes provided in the web 47 on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the foot member.

OPERATION When a table or other piece of furniture having one of the self-adjusting supports of the present invention is initially placed at a desired location on a floor, it is preferable to lift the entire piece and place it with all four supports on the floor and then push down evenly on the top thereof. Ordinarily, this will set the selfadjusting foot such that all four supports rest on the floor. Thereafter, simply leaning or placing a heavy article on the top of the piece so as to apply a downward force on the self-adjusting support will not cause the foot member to move because such movement is resisted by the friction between the foot member and the floor and by the friction between the sleeve and the walls of the slot. If the piece of furniture is moved and the foot member does not self-adjust for some particular reason, to effect the desired adjustment it is merely necessary to slide the piece toward the self-adjusting support to cause the foot member to retract, or to pull the piece toward the self-adjusting foot to cause the foot member to move downwardly to stabilize the piece. It should be understood, however, that the slots 24, 36, and 51 may extend downwardly toward the center of the table rather than outwardly as shown in the drawing whereby the reverse procedure would be used.

While the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-adjusting furniture support, comprising:

a body member having oppositely disposed, mutually parallel walls,

a foot member partially disposed below said body member and having a horizontally elongated upper portion with mutually parallel vertical sides lyin'g respectively adjacent said paralel walls,

said walls and said sides coacting to prevent relative rotation between said foot and body members while permitting relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween,

a guideway in one of said members,

said guideway having a rectilinear portion extending at an angle intermediate rhe horizontal and the vertical axes,

means carried by the other of said members cooperatively engaging said guideway to permit movement of said foot member relative to said body member in the direction of said guideway,

said foot and body members being pivotable relative to one another about a horizontal axis, and

a spring connected between said foot and body members for exerting a horizontal force component on said foot member to bias said foot member in a downward direction along said guideway.

2. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 1, wherein:

said mutually parallel walls define a downwardly opening recess in said body member, and

said elongated upper portion of said foot member extends into said recess.

3. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 1, wherein:

said guideway is a slot, and

said means engaging said guideway extends through said slot.

4. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 3, wherein:

said spring means is a compression spring mounted within said slot,

said means engaging said guideway is a sleeve slidably disposed in said slot, and

pin means extending through said sleeve for securing said sleeve to said body member,

said spring urging said sleeve against one end of said slot.

5. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 3, wherein:

said body member is the leg portion of an article of furniture.

6. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 5, wherein:

said slot is provided in said foot member, and

said foot member is mounted in said recess. 

1. A self-adjusting furniture support, comprising: a body member having oppositely disposed, mutually parallel walls, a foot member partially disposed below said body member and having a horizontally elongated upper portion with mutually parallel vertical sides lying respectively adjacent said paralel walls, said walls and said sides coacting to prevent relative rotation between said foot and body members while permitting relative vertical and horizontal movement therebetween, a guideway in one of said members, said guideway having a rectilinear portion extending at an angle intermediate rhe horizontal and the vertical axes, means carried by the other of said members cooperatively engaging said guideway to permit movement of said foot member relative to said body member in the direction of said guideway, said foot and body members being pivotable relative to one another about a horizontal axis, and a spring connected between said foot and body members for exerting a horizontal force component on said foot member to bias said foot member in a downward direction along said guideway.
 2. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 1, wherein: said mutually parallel walls define a downwardly opening recess in said body member, and said elongated upper portion of said foot member extends into said recess.
 3. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 1, wherein: said guideway is a slot, and said means engaging said guideway extends through said slot.
 4. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 3, wherein: said spring means is a compression spring mounted within said slot, said means engaging said guideway is a sleeve slidably disposed in said slot, and pin means extending through said sleeve for securing said sleeve to said body member, said spring urging said sleeve against one end of said slot.
 5. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 3, wherein: said body member is the leg portion of an article of furniture.
 6. A self-adjusting furniture support according to claim 5, wherein: said slot is provided in said foot member, and said foot member is mounted in said recess. 